60,000 diapers and I'm finished!

YES!

I learned that the average child goes through between 7,000-9,000 diapers before they are potty trained. So......I did the math and with 7 kids, I figure between Bryce, myself and any others who have helped me out, we have changed about

60,000 diapers<-------------unbelievable, huh?

Our sweet little caboose, Abby is finally all done potty training. I thought she would be the easiest but she threw me a curve ball. Beginning around 2 yrs old, she started wanting to use the potty. Now, at this point, I was pretty burned out because Hallie had taken so long. Since Abby was only just 2 years old I decided to wait it out for a bit. She continued to ask and so after Christmas, I relented and the training began and boy was it a breeze! Dry pants every single morning, no accidents during the day or night!

WOW!

Then we began to notice that Abby was never "pooping" in the potty! Day after day after day after day until finally we spoke with the pediatrician and he said to let it go another day and if she didn't "go" to try a pediatric enema. Thankfully on Day 5, she finally "went" but it was very uncomfortable as you can imagine.

So began Abby's potty training problem! Over the next months we continued to have problems with Abby "holding her poopies"! We tried to encourage her, bribe her but we feel certain that she linked up that going #2 in the potty chair was painful so she continued on her own agenda. It was awful. Because she held it for days at a time, it was usually painful when she finally went. We tried having her drink things that would loosen her stool but they only gave her diarrhea which only worsened her feelings about going potty! So we did the unthinkable........

We put Abby back in diapers! Yes, we decided to just forget about it and hopefully get her "going" again regularly without any kind of pressure.

It worked! But now, we were back at the beginning again trying to decide how to approach this.

Here's what finally worked.

We began by putting her back in panties and then if she did not "poop" that day we would give her a pediatric enema the next morning. We had to do this 4 or 5 times. We didn't want her to hold it and make it uncomfortable again. Then we began our incentive...

BUBBLE GUM!

Every time Abby went "poop" in the toilet, she as well as all her siblings (to encourage them to cheer her on) got a piece of sugar free bubble gum!  VOILA! IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM. Why didn't I think of that sooner?

Well, this is definitely a strange post but hopefully some mom out there who encounters a problem like this will find some ideas here and solve their own potty problem. Meanwhile, my blog is meant to keep a journal and this one is one I want to remember!

So....Here is our little Angel. All Potty trained and very happy about it!

Here are her parents! Relieved that we got through this little problem and happy to be finished with the messes and expenses of diapers! 

Of course, we will miss the sweet, special baby stage, so precious! (I can't dwell on that part or I will become teary eyed!)
Luckily, we are full of so many wonderful, tender memories. I love my kids so dearly and am enjoying each and every one of them in each phase so much!